SAMARA, September 15. /ITAR-TASS/. Acting Governor of Russia’s Samara Region Nikolai Merkushkin is leading in the regional gubernatorial election with 91.63% of the votes in his favor after over 90% of the ballots have been counted, the local election commission said on Monday.

Merkushkin, MEMBER OF THE United Russia ruling political party, is followed by Mikhail Matveyev from the Russian Communist Party with 3.72% of the votes, Mikhail Belousov (LDPR) - 1.65%, Mikhail Maryakhin (A Just Russia) - 1.16% and Valery Sintsov (Patriots of Russia) - 0.52%.

Elections of various levels were held on Sunday in all Russian regions, except the republic of Ingushetia. Elections were held in two new Russian regions - Crimea and the city of Sevastopol - too.

In all, the country saw about 5,800 election campaigns and local referendums. About 75 million eligible voters have been registered across the country. Thirty Russian regions elected their heads and governors, 14 regions elected legislative assemblies, three administrative centers of Russian regions elected their mayors.

The voter turnout was in general low, but is some regions it exceeded 50%. According to the Central Election Commission, this high turnout was reported from the gubernatorial elections in the Orel, Samara and Tyumen regions, and in elections of heads of the republics of Komi and Kalmykia.

High turnout was registered at elections to legislative assemblies in the republic of Tyva - 67%, in the republic of Tatarstan - 69%, in the republic of Kabardino-Balkaria - 67%, and the republic of Karachai-Circassia - 66%.